


The Secret of Ghirardelli

by RainingStars



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, M/M, Mental Health Mentions, SO, Weed, alternate title:, and if you think the date of this fic is 4/20 you're so right my dude, drug mention, i also just seriously wanted to write stoner Hunk, klance, let lance feel emotion for more than 2 seconds, let's play a game called "which of these stories are based off of real-life experiences"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 11:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15048449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainingStars/pseuds/RainingStars
Summary: “Friends, we’re about to witness a critical moment in my wonderful boyfriend’s weed-story tonight, because the impatient loser decided to go ahead and eat essentially an entire edible before I was done giving him the talk about how much was the right amount for him.”In which a yearly tradition takes a turn for the unexpected, leading Lance and Keith to address a part of their relationship they never quite knew how to.





	The Secret of Ghirardelli

**Author's Note:**

> Of course, what was supposed to be a funny stoner!AU drabble idea I mentioned to my friend in passing turned into a full fic with some angst thrown in for good measure (because it wouldn't be my True Brand™ otherwise). At least it was a good way to decompress after the wild ride that was Season 6. 
> 
> The camping story mentioned later on also may or may not be something that actually happened. Who knows? Not me!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Lance is blindsided by how quickly things go down. One minute Keith is holding a brownie, and then next --

“Wait, what?”

“I said, you should probably eat it in quarters because this is your first -- OH FUCKING HELL KEITH.”

The other boy leans against the counter, his right hand holding only about a bite of what had once been a full pot brownie. Lance groans and gently bangs his head against the closest cabinet. He should have focused his speech more in order to get to the section about first-time consuming faster. He usually gets side-tracked during the part where he triumphantly recounts his first time doing edibles. God, he loves the look on people’s faces when he reminisces about watching Pidge ride Hunk like a rodeo bull while Shiro made churros.

“Okay your churro story was getting boring and I’m starving so I just went ahead.” Keith shrugs unapologetically. “By the way: that tasted like a completely normal brownie.”

Lance places a hand to his chest to signal his offense at this comment. “First of all: fuck you, that was the best day of my life. Second of all: the secret is Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix. Third of all: you’re one of the most careful people I know, and you choose now of all times to make a risky decision.”

“Oh come on, is it really that bad?” Keith challenges, though Lance can detect a tinge of anxiety creeping into his tone. 

“My guy, have you ever felt your insides turn into what felt like the equivalent of molten lava while your brain ascends to the next plane of consciousness?”

Keith tries to answer casually, but his voice wavers as he answers, “...No.” 

“Well strap the fuck in.” Lance laces his fingers together and cracks his knuckles loudly for emphasis. 

“How long do I have?” Keith asks the question as though he’s a patient in a doctor’s office who has just been diagnosed with a deadly disease.

“I --”

Lance is cut off by Keith’s hand grabbing his arm. While the voice and grasp are tense, Keith’s face remains somewhat miraculously emotionless as he repeats, “Lance. How long?”

“I’d give you about a half-hour,” Lance replies, trying hard not to take at least a little amusement in seeing Keith turn a paler shade than he already is. “Hey, I won’t let the scary weed monster get you, okay?”

“LANCE, KEITH, STOP MAKING OUT AND GET YOUR BONY BUTTS IN HERE. IT’S HIGH TIME FOR...WELL, HIGH-TIME.”

“AND GAMES.”

“RIGHT, WHAT PIDGE SAID.”

“Be right there, Hunk!” Lance calls back to his friends. He looks at Keith and smiles. Keith tries to reciprocate, but looks incredibly strained in doing so. 

“This is going to be the longest half-hour ever.” Groans Keith as he moves to the trash and presses on the pedal with his foot. The chrome lid opens with a loud creak, and he throws the brownie in, sending the remainder of it where it truly belongs.

“I got you. Let’s go, play a game or two, and then we’ll worry about it. For now, just sit back and enjoy the ride, cool?”

“Cool.” 

With a nod, the two walk hand-in-hand into the next room, where Pidge and Hunk are setting up the crowning piece of the night: a large bong comprised of strips of yellow, green, blue and red glass, with black rimming on the mouthpiece and bowl. This is the bong Lance and Hunk had splurged on when they had first moved into their apartment together. Since then, it has been the centerpiece of each of their annual “bong-a-thon”s (as Pidge had once dubbed them in a particularly enlightened moment during their first get-together to break in the piece). 

“Wow, that sure is a bong.” Keith eloquently observes.

“And we sure do have a shitton of weed for it.” Pidge holds up a gallon Ziploc bag, a mischievous grin overtaking their face. The bag is almost completely full, which prompts an approving “Ooooooh” from Hunk and Lance. 

“How the hell did Shiro get that much bud?”

“Matt has a guy, therefore Shiro has a guy, therefore we have a guy.”

“Well, thank your beautiful stoner brother the next time I see him, okay?” Lance laughs as he and Keith sit around the bong alongside the others. “Speaking of Shiro though, wasn’t he, like, just here?”

“He ran out to grab snacks for later in the night. Bless that boy for being the sober dad.” Pidge signals their appreciation by making a fist and thumping their chest a few times. 

“I think I might be joining him on the sober train, actually,” Lance admits, shooting a look at Keith (which he hopes doesn’t make him look too concerned). This, along with Keith’s exercise in exhibiting all five stages of grief within a single facial expression, is not lost on Hunk. He immediately comes over and snaps his fingers in front of the brooding boy’s face. “Hey, Angsty McAngsterson, what bee’s gotten into your bonnet?” 

“Nothing.” Keith tries not to meet Hunk’s grilling stare dead-on. 

But Hunk won’t settle for this. He turns to Lance and leans in. “Lance, what bee’s gotten into his bonnet?”

Lance knows there’s no use in hiding the truth. Hunk and Pidge are very persistent people, especially when it comes to things that might affect their bong-a-thon. He tries to keep things light, holding out his hands dramatically as he delivers his speech. “Friends, we’re about to witness a critical moment in my wonderful boyfriend’s weed-story tonight, because the impatient loser decided to go ahead and eat essentially an entire edible before I was done giving him the talk about how much was the right amount for him.”

“The talk that has the story about me riding Hunk like a rodeo bull?” Pidge asks excitedly. 

“Fuck yeah it is.” 

Pidge and Lance slap high-fives while Keith groans. “I was hungry! I did what any sane man would do when presented with food!”

“Did you forget there was weed in it?” Pidge and Hunk ask in unison, their voices a little too all-knowing. Keith can only muster up the strength to nod as his cheeks flush. 

“How long ago was that?” 

“Uh...five minutes ago?” Keith responds, trying to count on his fingers before realizing that doing so isn’t actually helping him recount the passage of time. 

“DAMN DUDE, your sober clock is ticking as we speak!” Hunk shouts, a little too enthused by the scenario. 

“Better grind this stuff fast so we can catch up!” Pidge chimes in, eagerly opening the Ziploc bag and putting a few buds into a small green grinder.

“Wait, Keith, how many times have you smoked?” Hunk inquires as Pidge diligently cranks away, occasionally lifting the lid on the grinder and filling the room with a dank, yet somewhat floral smell. 

_Shit. _Keith thinks as he tries to answer in a cool and level tone: “Oh, like, a bunch of times.”__

__Lance squints his eyes at this. “We smoked that one time when we first started dating. When else have you smoked?”_ _

__Keith stammers for an answer but comes up short. A collective gasp sounds from everyone else._ _

__“My guy, my dude, my man...you’re saying you’ve only smoked one time, and now you’ve just gone and consumed an entire edible?” Hunk’s voice and face reflect fear, astonishment, and slight admiration._ _

__“Fine, yes. I’ve only smoked once. Okay?” Keith’s face scrunches in confusion as Pidge, Lance, and Hunk all place a hand over their hearts. “...The fuck are you guys doing?”_ _

__“My friend,” Pidge begins, coming over and taking Keith gently by the shoulders, “Tonight, you're going to be an astronaut, and your destination is a celestial territory explored by many, but only truly understood by the few who choose to tempt fate and play god.”_ _

__“Pidge, are you already high?”_ _

__“Nah, Keith” Hunk chuckles. “You’ll know when Pidge’s high.”_ _

__“Probably not, seeing as he’ll be high too,” Lance’s voice holds a smile as he rubs Keith’s back. Keith can’t deny that this sensation is comforting, and he settles back into Lance’s palm as his boyfriend continues speaking. “Because of that, though, I don’t want to be too fucked up in case this one needs help when the trip arrives.”_ _

_Oh no _, Keith’s mind automatically puts up a red flag. _You’re ruining his night because of a stupid mistake you made.___

_____ _

__

______“Hey, suit yourself, dude.” Hunk shrugs. “I’m gonna take a few hits off ol’ reliable here once Pidge packs her up, then we’re gonna play some truth or daaaaare!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______With that, the two huddle around the piece as Pidge begins rattling off facts about whatever strand they’re using._ _ _ _ _ _

______Lance feels a tap on his shoulder and turns to see Keith. “What’s up? You feeling okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, yeah, it still hasn’t kicked in. Um, can we go over to the corner for a sec?” Keith asks gently. Lance nods with a furrowed brow as he slowly gets up, extending a hand to help up his boyfriend. Once situated in a location a little away from Hunk and Pidge, Keith leans in and says, “You can still smoke if you really want.” Lance notes that Keith’s voice is hushed, his face flushing and eyes darting as if he is trying to hide embarrassment. “I mean, I’m not gonna die, right? I don't want to ruin your night just because I made a dumb move. I know that this is your thing with Hunk and Pidge.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Lance smiles and brushes a piece of hair out of Keith’s eyes. “Dude, you’re fine. It’s not like I’ll never smoke again. I just know you’ve got anxiety, and sometimes a lot of weed all at once, especially for a first-timer, isn't the best companion to that. Hey, hey!” Lance assures, seeing a guilty expression begin to assemble on Keith’s face, “I’m not saying that to make you feel bad! Having a companion through it can be cool. Take it from me, I’m like, the most paranoid mofo I know when I get super stoned. The first time I smoked it was out of a bong, right? I was on a camping trip, and let me tell you, I have never been more paranoid in my life. Like I went to the bathroom, and I saw this chick waiting for the showers, and she wasn't paying attention to me at all, but the entire time I was washing my hands I was like ‘She knows’. So if I made it through that alone, you're gonna be totally fine because you have me as your suave high guide.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Please tell me you got lost in the woods, oh suave high guide.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s a later story,” Lance replies, kissing Keith’s nose fondly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“ALRIGHT,” Hunk exclaims, coughing a little bit as his head shoots up from the mouthpiece of the bong. “LET’S GET TRUTHY.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“OR DAREY,” Pidge follows, raising a fist in support. The couple exchange a glance and go back over to join their friends. A few more hits are taken from the bong before it is gently set aside for the time being. Hunk then stands, holding his hands up as he mimes silencing a large, adoring crowd. Once this figment of his imagination has settled down, he lowers his hands into a prayer fashion in front of his chest. Clearing his throat, he begins: “Dearly beloved, we’ve gathered here to get fucked.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Here, here!” Lance, Pidge, and even Keith respond._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We are about to embark on a game of truth or dare, a classic, timeless game. I expect nothing but shenanigans to ensue whilst we wait for Shiro to return with our munchie feast, as well as the ever approaching moment of Keith’s blast off into a high some can only dream of. Let us begin.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______With that, Hunk leaves the room for a brief moment, returning quickly with a bottle. “To choose who goes first,” he explains, though Pidge has a devious look. Hunk plops himself down, places the bottle on the ground, and gives it a hard spin. All eyes followed the rapid blur, breath held as they wait for it to slow. Keith feels somewhat nauseous, though whether this is from the bottle or from the brownie, he is uncertain. Soon, the blur takes shape of a bottle again, and the nose comes to a rest in front of the first victim._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh, shit. I...guess I’ll go with dare,” Keith declares, albeit a little hesitantly._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Damn, babe, living dangerously!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Alright, uhhh…” Hunk trails off, pausing as though buffering.  
______

___“Dude, you good?” Keith asks._ _ _

___ _

______“Yeah, like….my arms just feel like, heavy. Like….what’s that shit they drop on each other in Tom and Jerry?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Anvils?” Pidge offers as if it is an obvious answer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ha, yeah, that’s what. Okay, hoo boy. Keith, I don’t know, spin the bottle or something and make out with whoever it lands on.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Laaaame, anvil arms, “ Lance calls out as Keith reaches for the bottle and gives it as good of a spin as he can manage. It blurs, comes back into focus, and lands on Lance._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Boooo,” Hunk and Pidge groan. Lance laughs and gives them the finger. Keith looks smug as he turns to his boyfriend._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, looky there.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Looky there. You high yet?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nah, but you always seem to intoxicate me, so.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” comes even louder protests at Keith’s pickup line. The two smile as they draw closer, lips locking together. Keith notes a warmth spreading through his core and to each of his limbs, eventually reaching his head. As he pulls away from Lance, he notices things in the room have become a little fuzzier, and the overhead light is shining just a bit brighter. It's fine, though. He's still pretty with it._ _ _ _ _ _

______Keith reaches out and spins the bottle, which eventually lands on Pidge. They pump their fist a few times before jumping up and running over to the couch. Everyone seems collectively confused before Pidge throws a cushion down, hops on top of it and shouts, "THE FLOOR IS LAVA!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______As if on cue, the remaining three on the floor hurry to get on top of something. More cushions are thrown onto the ground along with a blanket or two as pandemonium breaks out in the living room. The next few minutes are comprised of jumping, shouting, and one crash which prompts a "Sorry!" from Hunk. No one cares to draw attention to the fact that no set rules have been put in place as to how long the game should go on for or if there are any boundaries in the room. They all have just collectively agreed to let themselves fuck around, which is more than enough. Besides, they figure someone will eventually mess up and touch the floor._ _ _ _ _ _

______That person just so happens to be Keith, who, in a bold attempt to jump from the coffee table to the couch, misjudges the length of his stride and falls flat on his ass on the floor._ _ _ _ _ _

_______Shit, that hurt. ____ _ _ _ _ _

________Shit, why were his thoughts suddenly echoing in his mind?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Why were the colors of the room melting?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________...Oh no._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Keith?” Lance quickly runs to his boyfriend's side once he realizes he's spaced out instead of getting up. Pidge and Hunk also come over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Hey, Keith?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Oh snap. Keith, what’s up, buddy?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Keith turns to look at his friends, unsure of who is talking to him. Their faces are swirling ever so slightly, and their voices have meshed together. Jesus, what’s that buzzing noise he’s hearing? And HOLY SHIT….oh, wait, that’s just Lance tapping his shoulder to ask, “Babe? How are you feeling?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Quiznak.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Uh...what?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“That was just the first word that came into my head?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Amazing. What else?” Pidge inquires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“My balloons are lungs.” The blank stares Keith receives alert him to the fact that what he’s just said is not right somehow. He pauses, and slowly corrects himself. “No, wait, my….my lungs are balloons.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Keith then promptly dissolves into uncontrollable laughter. God, he just feels so warm. His friends are talking, but he’s given up on trying to figure out what they’re saying. He lies back on the floor and just stares at the ceiling, which is covered in plastic glow-in-the-dark stars. Wow. Those are pretty. He can't stop staring at them. He wonders if Lance and Pidge and Hunk all see the stars the same way as he does. They could all look at the ceiling at the same time, and those three could see regular old plastic glow-in-the-dark stars while Keith saw tiny little fairies. But they’re stars. Stars with fairies? What? He’s confusing himself. Plus, when had he gotten so warm? He feels like his insides are slowly burning. Ow. Why is he so hot?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Oh god. Wait. Is the floor still lava? ___

__________Before Keith can try to get up, he sees a dark figure approach him. He sits up straight, flailing as he feels the presence loom over him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Woah! Keith, I’d at least like to take a few minutes to settle down before I get decked in the face!” A familiar voice booms from overhead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Keith turns around and is greeted by Shiro. He is ladened with roughly a shitton of Walmart bags, which he dumps onto one of the armchairs in the corner._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Hunk makes his way to the armchair, retrieving a bag of cheese curls and immediately opening them. He speaks through a large mouthful of orange. “Shiro, meet stoned as fuck Keith. Stoned as fuck Keith, this is Shiro. A friend, not a punching bag.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Shiro comes to sit down on the ground. The others come back and re-from their previous circle. “Lance, what did you do?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?! Nothing!” Lance immediately jumps to his own defense. “In fact, I tried to prevent anything from happening, but Keith decided to go ahead and ignore me, and now he's starting to discover the secrets of the universe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s why it's so big: it's full of secrets.” Keith’s eyes grow wide. He wonders if they’re the size of dinner plates. They feel like the size of dinner plates._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Shiro sighs a large, _holy crap I just walked in and I already don't know what I’m getting myself into, _sigh. “How high are you both?” He asks Hunk and Pidge who he has conveniently sat between.__

____

____

____________“I’m flying,” Hunk says with a thumbs-up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Still pretty baseline,” Pidge says. “Although we all know I have a pretty impressive tolerance.” To emphasize this point, they push up their glasses (which somehow glint despite the lack of lighting in the room), go over to the bong, take a long, hard hit, and slowly let the smoke trail out of their mouth as they go back to their position in the circle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Shiro turns to Lance. “You high?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Nah”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Explain what’s going on.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Keith tried one of your brownies.” Lance begins._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh, nice.” Shiro nods._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Keith tried a whole one of your brownies,” Comes the clarification from Hunk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh. Shit.” Shiro says, fully understanding the situation. “The secret is Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix, you know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh we know,” comes the chorus of Lance, Pidge, and Hunk._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I swear, Matt and I have either done something completely wrong or completely right because those things are always lethal.” Shiro watches Keith, who is now blinking very. Very. Slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Am I going to die?” Comes Keith’s quiet voice. “I feel like I’m being lit on fire.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Wow, yeah, this is, what, his fifth time with weed?” Shiro asks. He’s admittedly pretty fascinated by his friend’s high, especially since Keith has always been the most careful one of their friend group._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Second. First time doing edibles.” Lance answers. When Shiro shoots him a wide-eyed look, he simply nods in a way of acknowledging that, yes, he knows how this fact impacts the situation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh,” Shiro purses his lips. “See, now that does pose an issue.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Guys, the floor is still lava. Why are we all still sitting in lava?” Keith’s now beginning to wring his hands ever so slightly. Why is no one answering him? Why are Hunk and Pidges looking at each other like that? Are they laughing? Is he being laughed at? He wants to ask but he opens his mouth and finds that his voice doesn’t work. Someone somehow found an off-switch and flipped it and now he’s stuck in the middle of a pool of lava without a way to seek rescue. Jesus, it’s so hot. It’s so hot. It’s so hot. Is his mind skipping like a broken record? Is the heat making it to that? He looks around frantically and his eyes land on Lance. He uses every ounce of strength to bypass the mechanics of his internal off-switch and call out quietly, “Lance...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Lance immediately places a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “Babe, what’s up?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________But Keith’s used up all of his strength, so he simply shrugs, trying to indicate through hand motions that he can’t speak._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Lance looks around at the group, worry now furrowing his brow as he stands up. He takes Keith by one arm him by either arm as he gently attempts to help lift him. “Alright, Keith, let’s get up and get you to the bedroom.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“My legs aren't real.” Keith manages to stammer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Shiro also comes over. “Here, I got his other side.” The two of them count to three and then hoist up. Keith lands on his feet, though he stumbles. Lance braces him in the front._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Keith isn’t sure of what exactly is going on. The voices of his friends are now incredibly garbled, but he’s glad Lance’s face is so close to his. He likes Lance a lot. Wait, he’s _dating _Lance. Truth be told, even when he’s sober, he’ll sometimes forget he’s dating Lance, and then all of a sudden Lance will kiss his neck, or make a cute comment, and it will be like a sudden wake-up call. Too bad he’s dying now. He supposes everyone has to go at some point, and this just so happens to be his time. He wonders if there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. For now, at least, he’s beginning to regain feeling in his limbs and become in control of his body once more.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Quiznak he still was hot, though._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Quiznak._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Where had that word even come from?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Babe?” Lance waves his hand slowly in front of his boyfriend’s face. “Babe, wanna go into my room?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I like you.” Keith winks. He thinks it’s charming._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Lance stifles a laugh as Keith’s eye twitches. He’s relieved Keith is still with it somewhat. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, then. Shiro, mind helping?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’m right behind you,” his friend replies, and they begin the seemingly endless trek to Lance’s room. Along the way, Lance grabs a water bottle. God knows it will come in handy later. Although Keith seems relatively calm at the moment, Lance can’t help but be scared. He just wanted to help the other boy have a nice time, but why should everything run smoothly, right? He has a way of being just careless enough to overlook minor issues, which tend to then blow up into something bigger. Case and point: Keith._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________When they arrive in the bedroom, the two lay Keith onto the bed. He immediately spreads out his arms and legs and starts attempting snow angel-making motions. Lance places the water bottle on his nightstand and grabs his laptop from his desk. “Here, Keith, wanna watch something? Maybe cartoons?” He figures those are always nice and easy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Oh shit, yeah, I wanna see the cool colors!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Lance finds the first cartoon he can on Netflix and props Keith up on some pillows. “Babe, I’m gonna step out into the hallway for a sec. I’ll be right outside in case you need me.” Keith mumbles something, and Lance gives him a kiss on the forehead before slipping through the door. Shiro pats Keith on the back and follows, closing the door halfway. Lance takes a few steps away from the door before sinking down one of the walls of the hallway. Shiro joins him on the opposite side, and together they sit, facing each other. Lance’s arms wrap around his knees as he heaves a large sigh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“How’s it going?” Shiro asks, sensing how tense Lance is. Though he’s known Keith longer than Lance, the latter of the couple is definitely easier to read. Lance’s humor and energetic attitude often mask his true emotions, but Shiro has come to learn that underneath it all, the boy has more layers than meets the eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I mean, I _know _he’ll be fine.” Lance isn’t sure if he’s saying this more for himself or Shiro. “Pidge and Matt once ate two of those brownies each and then FaceTimed us for the entire night, and, well, they’re both still here. But I’m still so damn worried.”__

____

__

________________“Well, did he want to come over and do this?” Shiro’s voice isn’t judgemental, but rather truly inquiring, as though he wants to help Lance figure things out._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah! I told him it was bong-a-thon and he was welcome to come, but he didn't have to do anything. But then we got here and Pidge said Matt had made us brownies, and suddenly he was all ‘oh, well, I kind of want to try edibles’. He insisted that he would be fine but…” Lance shrugs, trailing off as he fails to find a way to complete his sentence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“But what, Lance? It sounds like there’s something else going on.” Shiro can see the gears in Lance’s head grinding._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I mean, yes and no.” Lance rubs his temples as if trying to arrange his thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The past few weeks have been particularly shitty anxiety-wise for Keith, though why that was, Lance doesn’t know. Keith doesn’t always confide in Lance, not due to lack of trust, but because he doesn’t want to worry him. It isn't that Lance is completely anxiety-free, either. He’s shared days with Keith where the both of them can only really manage to sit and hold hands as they watch a shitty movie to calm themselves down as their minds compete in a race against an unknown antagonist. But Keith’s always been a little harder to crack. Even at the beginning of their relationship, Keith would constantly assure Lance that it was okay if he felt like things were getting to be too much and needed a break. He still would do it, and they’d been dating for almost 5 months, not even taking into account the years they’d spent together at school. (Granted, for a few of those years, the two had despised each other, but that was a point that they looked back at and laughed about.) Nevertheless, Lance still finds himself trying to figure out a way to support Keith and assure him that this insecurity is not a deal breaker. He still can’t help but feel like he isn't doing enough._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________This fear had only been heightened by events that had transpired last week, which he really hasn’t talked to anyone about yet. He figures now is as good of a time as any, especially now that he had Shiro in front of him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Um,” Lance begins, finding his voice is slightly quieter than before due to a fear of Keith somehow hearing the discussion. “Um, it’s just...last week Keith kind of went quiet for a few days. He didn’t text me, didn’t answer my calls, the works. And then I, y’know, got worried, but when I get worried I don’t actually want to show I’m worried. I just kind of act impulsively. So, I went to his place and tried to surprise him and got these shitty grocery store flowers just to be cute or something, but when I got there he asked me to leave. He was apologetic about it, but he seemed almost sad that I was there. He didn’t even take the flowers.” Lance can feel heat begin to enter his face. It was more difficult to talk about than he had anticipated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Shiro can see Lance begin to tighten his grip around his legs. While he feels for his friend, he can’t deny it’s humbling to bear witness to a more vulnerable side of Lance McClain. “Did he say why he acted like that? I’m sure it wasn’t meant to be hostile.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“We talked about it. He’s been having panic attacks and, um, I think they’re because of me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________They let that hang in the air for a moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Lance, you’re an important person in Keith’s life. You’re not responsible for the root of his anxiety.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I know, but, um,” Lance swallows, a lump of new emotion beginning to form a lump in his throat. “The next day, after the flower shit, he called me and when he was explaining stuff, he said he wished he could be as happy as me. He wished he could be as ‘put together’ or something, I can’t remember the exact phrasing, but it all just sounded like he was comparing himself to me. That’s not what I ever want.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance wants more than anything to show Keith that the two of them are on the same exact level, no matter what it might look like on the outside. Yes, he’s been doing a little better lately. He’s even found a therapist who he thinks he’s going to keep because they’re the first one in a long time he hasn’t felt judged by. But when he brings this stuff up with Keith, he can’t help but notice something behind the other boy’s eyes that suggests he’s using the conversation as a way to mentally bring himself down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance looks at Shiro and can only sum up this new thought as, “I want him to know that if he thinks he’s messed up or something, I’m just as messed up.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Romantic,” Shiro assesses jokingly. He can see a smirk tug at the edge of Lance’s lips, showing he appreciates the comment. All of this was making sense to him, though. For all their lives, Shiro had seen Keith beat himself up over minor imperfections of a wide variety. Comparison was his biggest downfall, and it seemed as though Lance was now noting this as well. In all honesty, Shiro was surprised at how good Lance was for Keith, and even vice versa. Shiro had been there when Keith had first bitched about “That annoying jackass in Astronomy” their freshman year of college, and he had also been the first one Keith had sat down to tell that “Um...so...Lance and I are kind of together now?”. It kind of made sense that a relationship that had such a tumultuous start would later give way to an intense bond between two driven individuals. However, the fact that they were both so driven could play a role in some of what Lance is revealing to him. “Do you ever wonder if there’s residual competitiveness between you and Keith? You guys were always trying to one-up each other when you first met, so there might still be some sense of that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Jesus, I never even thought of that.” Lance contemplates this possibility. “I guess that explains why he was so willing to prove he could handle getting high tonight. He knows I don’t care one way or another, but maybe he doesn’t actually know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sounds like it to me,” Shiro nods. “But, again, that’s not your fault. It’s not necessarily his either. Hell, I don’t know if there’s even fault in this situation, but it’s tough. I get it. Keith’s basically my little brother, Lance. I know how he gets. But, that means I also can tell when he’s found someone who makes him happy, and I’ve definitely seen that when he’s around you. Next time he smiles at you, look at his eyes. They squint just enough that you can see tiny lines form at the corners. That’s the sign of a true Keith Kogane smile.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Damn, what had Lance done to be lucky enough to have Shiro around when he needed a serious pick-me-up?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Thanks, Shiro. I’m just, y’know...I like him. A lot.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________From behind the cracked door, Lance and Shiro can make out Keith’s voice faintly calling, “Laaaance”._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________It doesn’t sound distressed, which Lance supposes is a good thing. Still, he figures it’s a cue to go back into the room. “Um, I think I’m gonna check on him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sounds good. You need backup?” Shiro asks._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Nah, I think I got it from here. He’s balls deep now, so not much we can do, right? I’m just gonna make sure he doesn’t need anything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Just let me know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Will do. You know, if you want, take a couple of hits for me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Shiro smiled, “I might take you up on that. Holler if you need us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance gives a small wave, and Shiro turns the corner of the hallway and disappears. Lance lets a small sigh flutter between his lips as he approaches the door again. He extends a careful hand to the handle, taking a moment to wrap each finger individually around the spherical knob. He rests his forehead against the wood of the door. It’ll be okay, it’ll be okay he repeats as an inner mantra as he pushes the door open and carefully shuts it behind him. He sees a lump of what he can make out to be Keith wrapped up in a blanket on his bed, which he gently plops onto the edge of. Before he can check to see if his boyfriend is awake, Lance feels a hand reach out and tap his hip._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hey.” Comes Keith’s muffled voice from within his blanket bundle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hey, babe. What’s up?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith moves his head from out of the fabric. “Because I’m dying, I just want you to know one thing: at my funeral, I would like an acoustic version of the legendary song “Take On Me” By a-ha. I know the original is iconic, but because it’s, like, a sad event, I think acoustic would be better. The music video should also accompany it. That boy worked so hard to break out of his 2-D life and become real for that girl. And, you know, I don’t want people focusing on how long I lived, but how I lived, and that was cheering on the most beautiful love story to ever grace our world.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance has to take a minute to just fucking laugh. After the conversation with Shiro outside, this was not what he was prepared to walk back into. Once he’s composed himself, he responds with, “Got it. I’ll get you a sweet ass Viking funeral, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“BIKING FUNERAL?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, mullet-head,” Lance ruffles Keith’s hair, “V-i-k-i-n-g.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Ooooooooh.” Keith laughs, snorting a little. It’s one of Lance’s favorite sounds. “I thought, like….ha! Oh man, I thought you were gonna, like, put my casket on a bike and ride me into the sunset. Oh my god, do that, actually. Also, you love my mullet.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“It’s, like, a poor excuse for a mullet.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Do I even have my mullet anymore? It feels like it melted when you touched it because you’re so hoooot,” Keith sings, giggling as he rolls over onto his side so he is facing Lance. He picks up his hand (thankful it’s still attached to his body), and reaches up to grab Lance’s nose before swiftly retracting it back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I can’t believe you’re five.” Lances taunts, itching his nose where Keith’s fingertips had brushed it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I can’t believe I got your nose. Also my mouth is….what’s the word for dry?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Dry is the word, babe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I need to make it like the ocean.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance grabs the water bottle he’d placed earlier from its spot on the nightstand, opens it, and almost hands it to Keith before realizing that his position isn’t ideal for water consumption. “Babe, sit up?” Keith raises his arms as though to indicate he wants to be picked up. Lance returns the water to safety before attempting to fulfill this request. Eventually, the two scoot back towards the wall Lance’s bed is pushed against. Lance’s back settles onto the wall, water in his left hand, and Keith propped against his shoulder on the right._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance hands the water to Keith, who manages to shakily bring it to his lips and drink. “There ya go, champ,” Lance cheers. Then, softly, he asks, “Are you having an okay time?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m dying, but it’s okay. If I have to go now, I’m glad it’s with you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hah, thanks.” Lance intertwines his fingers with Keith’s. “Okay, but seriously, is your anxiety acting up? Let me know, I won’t be, like, mad or anything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith takes another swig. “I’m okay, my chest just hurts. It’s a little hard to breathe. Am I going to be okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes, Keith, you’ll be fine,” Lance confirms, giving his boyfriend’s hand a squeeze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Are you sure? I’m...I’m trying to be happy for you but right now I’m just a little nervous?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________This comment nearly breaks Lance’s heart as he pulls Keith into a full-body embrace. He tries desperately to remember Shiro’s words, to avoid telling himself he’s the cause of all this. He rests his chin on Keith's shoulder and bites his lip nervously. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let you have that edible. That was definitely too much for your second weed experience, even if you had taken the normal amount. I’m an idiot.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You’re beautiful, though. A beautiful idiot.” Keith reaches behind him in an attempt to run a hand through Lance’s hair. “I shouldn’t have eaten it all...I just wanted to show you I was happy, but now….I ruined it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“No, Keith, you haven’t ruined anything,” Lance says, eyes beginning to sting._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith tenses a little at the unfamiliar tone of Lance’s voice. This mixed with the THC still in his system cause the room to blur and spin just a little, but enough to make him feel disoriented. “Lance?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Nothing, I...are you okay?” Keith maneuvers his arms and hands so he’s holding onto Lance’s arms as they hold him around his abdomen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“We can’t have this turn into a question-off of who’s okay,” Lance says, trying to let his voice become light-hearted. “We’ll get nowhere.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, I guess.” Keith agrees, mostly because he wants to re-center himself. He rubs his hand over Lance’s shirt sleeves, letting the sensation of the rough cotton ground him. “I’m sorry, though.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You don’t have to be.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“But I am.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why do you think you have to prove you’re happy?” Lance fails to catch the words before they exit his mouth at the speed of light. Now that the catalyst has happened, the rest of his thoughts stream out like a waterfall. “You don’t need to smoke because I do, or like weed, or do anything to prove anything to me, Keith. I feel like sometimes you have this image of me that’s not true, and...god. We shouldn’t be having this conversation right now, not when you’re like this,”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith removes himself from Lance’s arms and turns around to face his boyfriend, finally fully taking in the defeated look on his face, “Actually, this might be the best time to talk about this.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Keith --”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I want to talk about it now, Lance. What image do I have of you?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That I don’t get sad. That I’m always doing well and that you’re a failure because of that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith lets the words hit his ears as he processes them to the best of his ability. “I don’t think I’m a failure, but I mean...it just, it’s hard when you have all this great stuff going on. You’re doing well in school, you have that new therapist. You’re getting your shit together, but where does that leave me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Where does it leave you, Keith? You never really tell me where you are, so I don’t have any idea.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Because it’s not your job to fix it!” Keith immediately feels guilty for the outburst and lowers his voice. “It’s my problem when I get anxious, it’s my problem when I get moody, I don’t need to burden you with this crap because you’ve clearly found a way to get past it and get to a better point in your life.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________This is all beginning to make a little more sense to Lance. It’s the most open Keith has been since they started dating. “The thing is I’m not past it, though. I’m still struggling just as much as you are, Keith. I’ve just found a different way to address it. Going to therapy and getting good grades don’t mean I’m magically cured. I mean, take my jokes, for example. How often do I joke?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“All the time.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Exactly! Yeah, I like telling jokes, but sometimes I use that shit to cover up all sorts of impending panic attacks. And it’s not healthy for you to try to compare yourself against some idealized image of me that doesn’t actually exist.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m not comparing.” Keith protests._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance shoots his boyfriend a look. “Dude, we have a competitive history.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith wants to argue, but can’t. The first time he and Lance had hung out in a group of friends, a simple pizza and movie night turned into who could finish the most slices and who could quote "Titanic" accurately. Yeah, maybe they were a little competitive at heart. “Yeah. Okay. So?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“So, I don’t want this to turn into you beating yourself up whenever you have a bad day and I’m not. Happiness isn’t a contest, Keith. You’re going to win some days and lose others. What’s important to me isn’t you proving you can do this or that, it’s you taking care of yourself and not being afraid to ruin my mood or whatever if you need to reach out and ask for help. You deserve privacy if you want it, but I don’t want you to feel like you can’t share with me. We’re boyfriends, bro,” Keith laughs at this, which fuels Lance to keep going. “We gotta try to be more open with one another. I’m included in that, because, I’ll admit, I’d rather joke about shit than address it half the time. But life sucks hard sometimes, and it can suck a little less when you have someone who is willing to listen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith feels his chest flood with warmth, this time from just how much he adores the stupid loser in front of him. This is a nice talk and all, but he still needs to get a fear out on the table. “I just don’t want you to leave? You’re saying all of this now, and it’s sweet, Lance, it really is, but what if I start coming to you more and you realize it’s not what you signed up for?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Why are you considering doomsday scenarios?” Lance questions, aching to know what he can do or say to address this fear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith’s mind is still mushy to some extent, so he tries to explain as best he can. “I usually feel angry, like, all the time, but you’ve made me not feel like that. And I want to keep you around. Am I making sense? So, when I’m with you, I feel nice. But I also feel like I’m horrible and don’t deserve it. I want to be with you, but I don’t want my sadness to get to you. I don’t wanna be all...dark and dank, all the time. That’s how my mind feels, sometimes. Dark and dank.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Damn boy, you’re definitely dank.” Lance receives a small head-smack for this. It’s totally worth it. Sincerity coats his words as he continues to speak. “Keith, we all face our issues. That being said, these past 5 months have been the best of my life, okay? I know that’s some honeymoon phase bullshit, but it’s true.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“They’ve been the best of mine, too.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“There you go! You come with your baggage, I come with mine. We may be in different places in our lives and in terms of addressing our feelings, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck in one place forever. I can help you look at therapists, I can help you study, I can do whatever!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“But I don’t want you to feel responsible.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, could you potentially offer some stuff for me? Maybe help me study, or just tell me when you’re having a rough time, or even occasionally come over and make sure I’m not only eating ramen because I’ve run out of motivation to cook?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith rolls his eyes at this. “Seriously, you have a culinary student as a roommate and you still think it’s acceptable to make eggs in the microwave and eat your bodyweight in ramen.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Microwave omelets are totally legit, don’t you dare diss that shit.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Whatever. Um, yeah, I can do that stuff. That’s pretty easy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance comes back over to Keith’s side and places a hand on his leg. “See? Now you don’t have to feel like I’m the only one offering stuff. You have your own help to offer. And that means a lot, okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Okay,” Keith nods. “I’m still kind of sorry.”  
“That’s okay for now. But I’m gonna charge a fee next time, got it?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Keith seriously can’t believe he has a boyfriend like Lance, but goddamn is he glad he does. He leans in to kiss Lance, both as a sign of thanks and a promise he’ll try to be more open. He thinks Lance reads all of this from the way the other boy reaches a hand up and cradles Keith’s cheek. Keith’s senses feel heightened as his boyfriend rubs a thumb over the stubble that’s been forming by his jawline. When they pull away from each other, the moonlight streaming through the window and hitting Lance’s hair seems brighter, the AC blowing in the corner seems colder, and...well. He tries to make out the sounds coming from the cartoons that had been left on and ignored this entire time, but he can’t quite make out what the characters are saying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Um, Lance?” Keith says slowly. “The cartoons sound like monsters.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, shit, did you do an edible earlier or something?” Lance jokes. “Why don’t we turn it off for now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, cool.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance closes out of the tab on his laptop before shutting the top. He transfers it to the floor as Keith stretches out on the mattress. Soon, Lance is with him, holding him in a warm embrace that makes him feel like the safest man on earth. Yet, there was still a bit of disorientation. It hit him in small waves that were just enough to increase his heart rate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Lance?” Keith whispers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Lance nestles his nose into the nape of Keith’s neck. “Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“I’m still a little scared. Is that okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Of course, sweetheart. I’m here with you, though. Just know that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The two remain curled up with each other for another hour. Eventually, Keith begins to feel his mind refocus, his muscles relax, and his general sense of self return. When he and Lance eventually walked into the next room, hand in hand, the couple is greeted by the sight of Pidge watching Shiro and Hunk sing a brilliant rendition of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”. They stand in the doorway and watch in awe, sharing a few gut-busting laughs with Pidge. Once this has come to a close, munchies are broken out, and Pidge begins to talk in Morse code (literally saying “dot” or “dash” in long or short spurts), the true sign they are as high as can be._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________As Keith feels the final effects of the brownie-from-hell wearing off, he pulls Lance aside and kisses his cheek. “Thank you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hey, it was my pleasure. I'm just glad you're finally back from space, astronaut Keith.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________The two look at each other, a whole world of new and unexplored territory held in their eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Jesus, I feel… so tired?” Keith says, mind and body finally fully connecting again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, Shiro’s brownies will do that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“....I also have to vomit.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Shit dude, those brownies will definitely do that.” 

________________Keith books it to the bathroom. When he emerges ten minutes later, he looks like he has just finished fighting a war. “Never again. Weed is called ‘devil’s lettuce’ for a reason.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Hey, suit yourself,” Lance says nonchalantly, though there’s a hint of mischief hidden behind his next words. “If you ever want to try it again -- remember, on your own time -- maybe actually pay attention to my lit rodeo speech.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!


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